The King of Swords is another one of those cards where the animal I chose may not be the one you’d initially suspect. Beavers are neither aggressive nor swift; even in the water they can only swim so quickly. But unlike the hot-headed Knight of Swords, the King has had years to temper both his blade and his intelligence, learning to plan carefully rather than act rashly. In the same way, the beaver only uses its teeth to defend itself as a last resort; instead, it has turned them toward building fortresses of sticks and logs to provide a safe haven for its family. This reduces the need for violence and shows the wisdom of years of evolution. When building a dam and lodge, a beaver does not consider its neighbors either way. Many animals will benefit from the pond the dam creates, but sometimes this may cause unnecessary flooding of land where smaller creatures may have lived. So reversed, the King of Swords in the Tarot of Bones also represents an abuse of power, authority and resources.

This is the 68th assemblage–I’m getting so close to being done! I have the bones I need for the remainder of the assemblages, and now I just need to make the time to create them. My goal is still to have them done by the end of the year–about six weeks and change left.

Also, just as an important reminder, if you have not yet filled out the survey to help me determine which perks I’ll offer for the next Tarot of Bones IndieGoGo campaign, you can find it here–it’ll only take a couple of minutes at the most, and it would help me a great deal. Thank you!